Jai Opetaia wants to unify all the cruiserweight titles. To that end, he would be ready to face WBA and WBO champion David Benavidez right away.
Jai Opetaia has clearly stated his next major career goal. The undefeated Australian wants to finally compete in the major cruiserweight unification bouts, and he has one opponent in particular at the top of his wish list: WBA and WBO champion David Benavidez.
During a Q&A session hosted by Zuffa Boxing, the Ring champion made it clear that he is ready to accept the fight at any time. “I’d love this fight,” Opetaia said. “I’ve been chasing these unification fights for a long time. It would be great to finally make one of them happen.”
Benavidez Remains the Preferred Opponent
Benavidez most recently secured the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles with a dominant knockout victory over Gilberto Ramirez and is currently considered one of the most sought-after opponents in boxing. As a result, the American has many options open to him. In addition to a possible unification bout against WBC champion Noel Mikaelian, matches against Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev are also being discussed.
Opetaia nevertheless hopes that Benavidez will continue his move to the cruiserweight division. “On our end, this fight would be easy to arrange. I don’t know what’s causing the delay on their end,” the Australian explained.
Undisputed: The Big Goal
For the 29-year-old, this is about much more than just another title. Opetaia continues to pursue his goal of becoming the undisputed cruiserweight world champion. However, this plan became more complicated after the IBF stripped him of the world title following his victory over Brandon Glanton. Nevertheless, Opetaia is holding on to his dream. “We hope to make this dream come true by the end of the year. If not, then early next year,” he said. “Undisputed is what I want.”
In addition to Benavidez, a bout against former world champion Chris Billam-Smith is also a possibility. Since both boxers are now under contract with Zuffa Boxing, this fight could be organized relatively easily. For Opetaia, however, it’s clear which challenge appeals to him the most. “If one of these titleholders wants the same thing, the fight is easy to set up. All they have to do is step up,” the Australian made clear.
Text by Robin Josten